Combat loss

They said there'd be no shooting I believed it of course
When I turned 18 and joined the US Air Force

Fifteen left behind on a forward air control post
On this island 5 miles off the Cambodian coast

The duty was hard but I did my time
But why did they take out the claymore mines?

I guess we were just a combat loss
It was down to us to pay the cost

I didn't know what all went down
It was just a bad place to hang around

Forty years past and my heads still a mess
The VA's calling it combat stress

If you serve your country just like me
You too may qualify for the VA extended warranty

Jim Hale
June 15 2011